15 greatest upsets in Summer Olympic history

7. 2004: Great Britain upends U.S. in 4x100m

The United States 4x100m relay team in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece was loaded. The four members of the team finished as three of the top four runners in the 100m sprint earlier in the Olympics, and they were the heavy favorite to win the relay. Justin Gatlin (9.85, Gold), Maurice Greene (9.87, Bronze), and Shawn Crawford (9.89, Fourth place), were joined by Coby Miller to form a “Dream Team” of sprinters.

The team would only go on to win the silver medal, as Great Britain pulled off one of the greatest upsets in 4x100m history. Of the four runners on the Great Britain team, the best 100m time ran in the individual competition was 10.12. However, it was the U.S. technique that would eventually lead to their second-place finish.

The United States showed poor execution when handing the baton off to one another, which according to Greene, was only practiced twice leading up to the Olympic Games.

Still, the U.S. made it close, as Greene closed the gap on Great Britain’s Mark Lewis-Francis, who held on for a victory by 1/100th of a second. The gold medal went to Lewis-Francis, Jason Gardner, Darren Campbell, and Marlon Devonish, and it gave the country their first gold in the event in almost 100 years. The last time Great Britain won the 4x100m relay was in the 1912 Stockholm Games.

Next: 6. 1952: Runner wins marathon on a whim